FBI agent, best-selling author to discuss art theft cases

Diana Widmaier-Picasso, Pablo Picasso's granddaughter, talks with Bob Wittman in Manhattan in February about the recovery of some paintings that were stolen in her Paris apartment in 2007. Wittman, a former FBI agent, assisted in the investigation. Photo by Majsan Boström

By Majsan BoströmStarNews Correspondent

Published: Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at 5:04 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at 11:13 p.m.

Last February, Robert K. Wittman, a former FBI agent specializing in art crime, held a lecture at the Frick Collection art museum in Manhattan. Wittman talked about his job chasing art thieves around the world, which is the subject of his 2010 bestseller "Priceless."

Facts

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What: "Art Crime: Pursuing the Priceless," an evening with Robert K. Wittman, New York Times bestselling author of "Priceless"When: 7 p.m. Monday, April 28Where: Lumina Theater in the Fisher Student Center, UNCW campusTickets: FreeDetails: 910-962-4045 or www.UNCW.edu/Lum

High-profile casesThe cases of former FBI agent Robert Wittman, who's speaking at UNCW on April 28, include:Rembrandt's 1630 "Self-Portrait" ($36 million), stolen from the Swedish National Museum in 2000, recovered in Denmark 2005.One of the original 14 copies of the Bill of Rights ($30 million), stolen by a Union Soldier in 1865, recovered in Raleigh in 2005.13 pieces of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum ($500 million), including a Vermeer and several Degas and Rembrandts, stolen in 1992. Still missing.

Local caseFormer FBI agent Robert Wittman exposed and helped send to prison two appraisers working for the popular PBS program "Antique Roadshow" who, instead of helping people, conned them out of their found treasures and family heirlooms. Among the many victims were the great-great grandson of Major Gen. George E. Pickett, Ed Pickett of Wilmington, who was scammed into selling his belongings from Gettysburg for a 10th of their value. He has been fighting a legal battle for more than 10 years trying to recover or be properly paid for the items, which include a uniform, letters and other personal effects that are now on display in the new National Civil War Museum in Pennsylvania."It was my (civil) case that opened up the criminal case, and that's when Wittman and the FBI became involved. I think he's great," Pickett said. "But I am shocked that the National Civil War Museum would knowingly retain my stolen property."

On Monday, Wittman will give a similar lecture at Lumina Theater on the campus of the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

The audience at The Frick was an older one, aside from a couple of 20-somethings in Hermès scarves and Pablo Picasso's granddaughter, Diana Widmaier-Picasso.

"It's private," Widmaier-Picasso said in a French accent when I asked if I could join her and Wittman for breakfast the following morning. But Wittman, who nowadays is a consultant and runs a private art-security company, vouched for me and she relaxed at the promise that I just wanted a couple of pictures.

"We are going to talk about our books and compare notes about the theft and recovery of her (grandfather's) paintings," Wittman said.

As an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1988 to 2008, Wittman helped recover stolen art and antiquities worth more than $300 million.

"Art theft is as old as art itself," Wittman said.

Art theft is also a $6 billion industry, fourth after drug, weapon and human trafficking. And it's not very similar to what's depicted by Hollywood, with billionaires ordering hits to get their hands on famous paintings and thieves dodging laser beam security systems.

"Often times the thieves aren't very smart," Wittman said. "They may be good at carrying out a well-planned heist … But the art in art crimes is selling it."

Art, Wittman said, is more likely to be stolen as collateral in the world of organized crime or as leverage in drug or illegal weapons transactions.

But if there are no Danny Oceans or Thomas Crowns, some thieves have pulled off spectacular heists where they have ripped Rembrandts, Vermeers and Renoirs from wall and frame while keeping security guards at bay with semi-automatic guns or fleeing in speedboats.

"The thieves see a painting that has a value of $60 million and think that's an easy $6 mil," Wittman said. "What they don't seem to think of is that someone who can afford $6 million can probably afford artwork on the legal market. Why would they risk getting involved in a crime?"

Working undercover, Wittman usually went by his real nickname, "Bob," but with a different last name.

"The cardinal rule for undercover work is keeping lying to a minimum," he said. "Less to remember."

Working art and antiquities crimes can be dangerous, and "Bob Clay" has dodged bullets – and sweated them – at times when his cover was nearly blown. Once, in a restaurant in Florida, he accidentally signed his real name on a tab. Another time he ended up in the crossfire when local police were making a drug bust in Spain. But mostly he blended in among the many types involved in art crime, from flashy, nouveau-riche assassins to clever lawyers.

"What I liked initially (about) working art crimes was that it was police work using your brain, more so than waving a gun," said Wittman, who became a FBI agent at the age of 32.

At first he worked smash-and-grab robberies in his assigned city, Philadelphia, but when there was a need for an agent who could tell a Miró from a Manet, Wittman volunteered. Since then, he's recovered paintings, sculptures, letters, diaries, Civil War artifacts and Geronimo's eagle-feather headdress – even an original copy of the Bill of Rights that belonged to the state of North Carolina.

Stolen by a Union soldier during Sherman's march through Raleigh in 1865, the parchment had resurfaced a few times before finally being returned in 2003. It was one of the 14 original copies of America's Bill of Rights and worth $30 million.

In his 2010 book "Priceless," Wittman also wrote about the case that still haunts the art world – and irks him – the Gardner Heist. In 1990, thieves made away with paintings, including Rembrandts and a Vermeer, today worth about $500 million, from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Wittman was pursuing leads that pointed to the Corsican mob, but eventually the case went cold.

"There is always a risk that the artifact may disappear again for years or forever," he said.

Widmaier-Picasso, who is an art historian, is one of the lucky victims whose paintings were returned. Wittman worked the case in which her Paris apartment was burglarized in 2007 and paintings worth $66 million were stolen while she was sleeping.

"I was involved (posing) as the wealthy U.S. buyer that the paintings were going to be sent to," Wittman said.

Now, Widmaier-Picasso, who recently moved to New York, is working on an inventory of her grandfather's sculptures, which she hopes to finish before a major Picasso exhibit in Paris in 2015.

Wittman is working on his second book, which is the story about his investigation into and recovery of Alfred Rosenberg's journal. The diary of one of the Nazi's most influential members disappeared shortly after the Nuremberg trials in 1946, where it was an important piece of evidence. "The Devil's Diary" is due in bookstores in September 2015.

Though art theft often isn't a violent crime, Wittman said stealing art and antiques amounts to the theft of history.

"In 100 years, we won't remember who or when," Witman said, "but we'll still have the paintings."

<p>Last February, Robert K. Wittman, a former FBI agent specializing in art crime, held a lecture at the Frick Collection art museum in Manhattan. Wittman talked about his job chasing art thieves around the world, which is the subject of his 2010 bestseller "Priceless."</p><p>On Monday, Wittman will give a similar lecture at Lumina Theater on the campus of the University of North Carolina Wilmington. </p><p>The audience at The Frick was an older one, aside from a couple of 20-somethings in Hermès scarves and Pablo Picasso's granddaughter, Diana Widmaier-Picasso. </p><p>"It's private," Widmaier-Picasso said in a French accent when I asked if I could join her and Wittman for breakfast the following morning. But Wittman, who nowadays is a consultant and runs a private art-security company, vouched for me and she relaxed at the promise that I just wanted a couple of pictures. </p><p>"We are going to talk about our books and compare notes about the theft and recovery of her (grandfather's) paintings," Wittman said.</p><p>As an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1988 to 2008, Wittman helped recover stolen art and antiquities worth more than $300 million. </p><p>"Art theft is as old as art itself," Wittman said. </p><p>Art theft is also a $6 billion industry, fourth after drug, weapon and human trafficking. And it's not very similar to what's depicted by Hollywood, with billionaires ordering hits to get their hands on famous paintings and thieves dodging laser beam security systems. </p><p>"Often times the thieves aren't very smart," Wittman said. "They may be good at carrying out a well-planned heist … But the art in art crimes is selling it."</p><p>Art, Wittman said, is more likely to be stolen as collateral in the world of organized crime or as leverage in drug or illegal weapons transactions. </p><p>But if there are no Danny Oceans or Thomas Crowns, some thieves have pulled off spectacular heists where they have ripped Rembrandts, Vermeers and Renoirs from wall and frame while keeping security guards at bay with semi-automatic guns or fleeing in speedboats. </p><p>"The thieves see a painting that has a value of $60 million and think that's an easy $6 mil," Wittman said. "What they don't seem to think of is that someone who can afford $6 million can probably afford artwork on the legal market. Why would they risk getting involved in a crime?"</p><p>Working undercover, Wittman usually went by his real nickname, "Bob," but with a different last name. </p><p>"The cardinal rule for undercover work is keeping lying to a minimum," he said. "Less to remember."</p><p>Working art and antiquities crimes can be dangerous, and "Bob Clay" has dodged bullets – and sweated them – at times when his cover was nearly blown. Once, in a restaurant in Florida, he accidentally signed his real name on a tab. Another time he ended up in the crossfire when local police were making a drug bust in Spain. But mostly he blended in among the many types involved in art crime, from flashy, nouveau-riche assassins to clever lawyers.</p><p>"What I liked initially (about) working art crimes was that it was police work using your brain, more so than waving a gun," said Wittman, who became a FBI agent at the age of 32. </p><p>At first he worked smash-and-grab robberies in his assigned city, Philadelphia, but when there was a need for an agent who could tell a Miró from a Manet, Wittman volunteered. Since then, he's recovered paintings, sculptures, letters, diaries, <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/TOPIC9951"><b>Civil War</b></a> artifacts and Geronimo's eagle-feather headdress – even an original copy of the Bill of Rights that belonged to the state of North Carolina.</p><p>Stolen by a Union soldier during Sherman's march through Raleigh in 1865, the parchment had resurfaced a few times before finally being returned in 2003. It was one of the 14 original copies of America's Bill of Rights and worth $30 million.</p><p>In his 2010 book "Priceless," Wittman also wrote about the case that still haunts the art world – and irks him – the Gardner Heist. In 1990, thieves made away with paintings, including Rembrandts and a Vermeer, today worth about $500 million, from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Wittman was pursuing leads that pointed to the Corsican mob, but eventually the case went cold.</p><p>"There is always a risk that the artifact may disappear again for years or forever," he said. </p><p>Widmaier-Picasso, who is an art historian, is one of the lucky victims whose paintings were returned. Wittman worked the case in which her Paris apartment was burglarized in 2007 and paintings worth $66 million were stolen while she was sleeping. </p><p>"I was involved (posing) as the wealthy U.S. buyer that the paintings were going to be sent to," Wittman said. </p><p>Now, Widmaier-Picasso, who recently moved to New York, is working on an inventory of her grandfather's sculptures, which she hopes to finish before a major Picasso exhibit in Paris in 2015. </p><p>Wittman is working on his second book, which is the story about his investigation into and recovery of Alfred Rosenberg's journal. The diary of one of the Nazi's most influential members disappeared shortly after the Nuremberg trials in 1946, where it was an important piece of evidence. "The Devil's Diary" is due in bookstores in September 2015. </p><p>Though art theft often isn't a violent crime, Wittman said stealing art and antiques amounts to the theft of history. </p><p>"In 100 years, we won't remember who or when," Witman said, "but we'll still have the paintings."</p><p>Features: 343-2343</p>